The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook

in that terrible and awful battle, car-warriors were
seen to run away in all directions. Then Bhishma
and Drona, and Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus
and Purumitra, and Vikarna, and Sakuni the son of
Suvala-these warriors invincible in battle and possessed
of leonine prowess-staying in battle broke the ranks
of the Pandavas. And so Bhimasena and the Rakshasa
Ghatotkacha, and Satyaki, and Chekitana, and the sons
of Draupadi, O Bharata, supported by all the kings
(on their side), began to grind thy troops and thy
sons stationed in battle, like the gods grinding the
Danavas. And those bulls among Kshatriyas, striking
one another in battle, became terrible to behold and
covered with blood shone like Kinsukas. And the
foremost warriors of both armies, vanquishing their
opponents, looked, O king, like the planetary luminaries
in the firmament. Then thy son Duryodhana, supported
by a thousand cars, rushed to battle with the Pandavas
and the Rakshasa. And so all the Pandavas, with
a large body of combatants rushed in battle against
those chastisers of foes, the heroic Bhishma and Drona.
And the diadem-decked (Arjuna) also, excited with
rage rushed against the foremost of kings. And
Arjuna’s son (Abhimanyu), and Satyaki, both advanced
against the forces of Suvala’s son. And
then commenced once more a fearful battle, making
the hair to stand on end, between thine and the enemy’s
troops both desirous of vanquishing each other.”

SECTION LVIII

Sanjaya said, “Then those kings, excited with
rage, beholding Phalguni in battle, surrounded him
on all sides with many thousands of cars. And
having, O Bharata surrounded him with multitudinous
division of cars, they shrouded him from all sides
with many thousands of shafts. And bright lances
of sharp points, and maces, and clubs endued with spikes,
and bearded darts and battle-axes, and mallets and
bludgeons they hurled at Phalguni’s car, excited
with rage. And that shower of weapons approaching
(towards him) like a flight of locusts, Pritha’s
son checked on all sides with his gold-decked arrows.
And beholding there on that occasion the superhuman
lightness of hand that Vibhatsu possessed, the gods,
the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the Uragas
and the Rakshasas eulogised Phalguni, O king, saying,—­’Excellent,
Excellent.’ And the heroic Gandharvas along
with Suvala’s son with a large force surrounded
Satyaki and Abhimanyu. Then the brave warriors
led by Suvala’s son from anger, cut into pieces
the excellent car of the Vrishni hero, with weapons
of diverse kinds. And in course of that fierce
conflict, Satyaki, abandoning that car of his, speedily
mounted on Abhimanyu’s car, O chastiser of foes.
And those two, mounted on the same car, then began
to speedily slaughter the army of Suvala’s son
with straight arrows of sharp points. And Drona
and Bhishma, steadily struggling in battle, began
to slaughter the division of king Yudhishthira the